3 everyday life hacks to help busy families stay organized

Getting through your daily life as a busy mom is no easy feat. Trust me, I know! Most of the time I'm functioning on autopilot. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a full-time job running a blog, creating content, and working as a freelance photographer. Trying to juggle work and our family’s busy schedule can feel quite overwhelming. But when it comes to living a busy lifestyle, I'm learning that there's no reason to stress. There are lots of everyday hacks for busy families that you can implement to save time and reduce hardships. Here are some of my favourites.

1. Use a calendar to stay organized

I cannot stress this enough—you need to have a family calendar! Having a physical wall calendar in the family area like the kitchen or living room will provide a place for everyone to see the events for the month. Using colour coding or stickers is another great way to keep everyone’s activities and plans clearly marked!

Using an app like Cozi Family Organizer or Google Calendar will help you and your spouse stay up to date with the latest schedule changes. I personally love using Google Calendar to create events and reminders. Setting a shared family Google Calendar makes it easy to keep track of important appointments.

2. Prepare healthy meals in advance

Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to slave in front of a stove all day. Need meal inspiration? Look to Pinterest or your favourite food blog to get ideas for make-ahead meals that freeze well and you can pop right in the oven before it’s time to eat.

Of course, although I aim to cook healthy homemade meals, the fact remains that my toddler is not a big fan of veggies. I often try to sneak veggies in her meals in ways she won’t notice. I also buy products like SunRype Fruits Plus Veggies juices. These Fruits Plus Veggies juices deliver two servings of fruits and veggies per 250ml, are made with 100% juice and have no sugar added. Not only does my toddler loves them, but they come in juice box form as well, so they’re easy to pack in my son's lunch box, too.

3. Delegate chores to get things done as a team

As your kids get older, there's no reason why the whole family can't help with tasks around the house. Kids as young as three can start helping around the home with some chores.

• Help set the table
• Help sort the recycling
• Water the plants
• Help sort the dirty clothes for laundry, and clean clothes for folding
• Pick up dead branches and rake leaves
• Help with loading and unloading the dishwasher

Delegating chores to every member of the household will save you a ton of time. When I'm busy cooking or cleaning, I have my son keep an eye on his sister in exchange for game/screen time. I cook the meals, but the boys are in charge of loading the dishwasher and clearing the table. Not only is teamwork essential for busy families, but it helps teach kids responsibility, too.

Bonus tip: Have a plan for keeping your little ones busy

If I’m alone with my toddler and have important tasks that need to get done, I have a "mommy is busy" plan in place. A few weeks ago, I purchased a few puzzles and simple games that my daughter can play with by herself. I picked up everything at the dollar store, so it didn't cost me much. Here’s one of my go-to activities: use a blank paper and draw some creatures with just the smile. Then, hand your toddler some plastic eyes (the kind you use for crafting) and tell them to get creative! You now have 10 to 20 minutes to get some work done. I use that time to answer emails or to prep meals. Winning!

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